School makes teacher remove pink Hello Kitty Christmas tree BANGOR, Maine — A Maine high school teacher is complaining that she was forced to remove a small pink Christmas tree festooned with the character Hello Kitty from her classroom. Catherine Gordon is a math teacher at Bangor High School. She wrote on her Facebook page that "everything offends everyone all the time" and that it "just sucks the joy out of everything." The news of the pink tree's removal took off on social media Monday. Even Republ...

High school graduation rates upWASHINGTON — The U.S. high school graduation rate inched up to 82 percent and the achievement gap narrowed, according to new federal data that raise concern among education officials and others that too many students still aren’t getting a diploma. The latest figures released Tuesday by the Education Department showed wide disparities in graduation rates according to where students live. Leading the way was Iowa, with a graduation rate of near...

P.E.O. members enjoy Christmas brunchMembers of Chapter AH, P.E.O met for a Christmas brunch on Dec. 12 at the Lake Point Conference Center. A love offering was collected in honor of Martha Williams, a charter member of Chapter AH. The $1,000 Martha Williams Community Scholarship will be presented to a Russellville High School senior at the Celebration of Excellence in May.

Community photo: St. John spelling bee winnersSt. John Catholic School in Russellville hosted its annual school spelling bee on Dec. 16. The top three winners were First Place Tess Barborek, Second Place Lauren Couture and Third Place Camila Gonzalez. The First and Second Place winners will participate in the Pope County Spelling Bee on Jan. 19.

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THE COURIER / SubmittedThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

The Incredible ReindeerCrawford Elementary School third graders performed their annual Christmas program, “The Incredible Reindeer,” this week for students and parents there at the school. The over 90 students, who auditioned for their parts, started practicing in October.

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THE COURIER / Joshua MashonThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

RHS soccer ready to kick off new seasonThe Russellville Cyclones soccer team recently finished tryouts and are ready to begin practice as soon they return from the winter break. Sixty-four students showed up for tryouts week, but not all of them were able to make the team. “Tryouts went great,” Russellville head coach Jared Fuller said. “The best part was the effort by the kids and having no injuries.” Out of the 64 eager contestants, Fuller was only able to keep 44 players to fill...

New academic options coming soon to ATUStudents on the Russellville and Ozark campuses of Arkansas Tech University could soon have new educational opportunities following action by the institution’s Board of Trustees during its meeting at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center on Thursday. Trustees approved two letters of notification brought forth by the Arkansas Tech College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. One of the letters concerns the creation of a biomedical ...

Steps being taken toward step repairsThe Pope County Library is in the process of getting a quote to fix a section of the steps on the north side of the library that have been roped off since spring 2014. They are the original steps from when the library was first built in 1976 and have eroded and crumbled to the point they were deemed unsafe. Due to budget cuts, the library has been unable to have the steps fixed, but is in the process of getting a quote. Since the library is sh...

Tech holds second annual ugliest sweater competitionWhen it comes to tacky holiday sweaters at Arkansas Tech University, the Department of Agriculture is the undisputed and undefeated champion. Dr. Jim Collins, professor of agriculture, earned the overall top prize in the second annual Arkansas Tech faculty and staff ugliest holiday sweater competition at Baswell Techionery on Dec. 9. Collins also won for most creative homemade sweater, while Dr. Justin Killingsworth, assistant professor of agr...

Viticulture, Enology Courses Available in RussellvilleArkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus is offering two introductory viticulture and enology courses at Morton Hall in Russellville. The spring semester runs Jan. 11 through May 3. The courses will meet at Morton Hall located at Survey of Grapes and Wines will meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 12:50 p.m. This introductory wine course will help familiarize students the major wine-producing regions of the world including differe...

Serving in memory of a true Tech manOn the surface, the scene in the Rothwell Hall lobby at Arkansas Tech University on Dec. 11, looked very familiar. Proud alumnae and friends of the institution were giving back to Tech by serving breakfast to students during that most stressful time on a university campus — final exams week. But Linda Boyd of Russellville and her two daughters — Russellville natives and Arkansas Tech alumnae Kirsten Boyd Banks and Kelsey Boyd Cox — were doing ...

Community photo: ATU Small Business and Technology Development CenterPictured are Director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) Nathan George (center) of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and Rotarians Dr. Mary Gunter and Dr. Stephen Jones. The SBTDC is a university-based economic development program that assists new and existing small businesses in a nine-county region including Conway, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Pope, Sebastian, Scott and Yell counties. For ...

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THE COURIER / SubmittedThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

ATU to honor fall 2015 graduatesArkansas Tech University will confer approximately 640 degrees during fall 2015 commencement ceremonies at John E. Tucker Coliseum in Russellville this weekend. Students earning degrees from the Arkansas Tech Graduate College will participate in a 7 p.m. ceremony on Friday, Dec. 18. The 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 19, will include candidates from the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Business and the College of Education. I...

Community photo: AMS Students of the MonthAtkins Middle School December Students of the Month are Katy Payne (from left), fifth grade; Dylan Williamson, sixth grade; Beau Cody, seventh grade; and Carlie Settlemire, eighth grade. Students are nominated by teachers based on academic performance, classroom citizenship and community outreach through volunteering, sports and the arts.

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THE COURIER / SubmittedThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

River Valley Rewind (Dec. 16, 2015)Percussion section of the Russellville High School Marching Band has been working with the rest of the band all week in preparation for halftime activities during the school’s homecoming game Friday night against Jacksonville. Activities will include a blackout routine during which the majorettes will twirl fire batons and a song by Sheila Lemley, band member. Sheila, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lemley, will perform the Olivia Newton-John hit ...

Main Street Mission Christmas Wish ListTo adopt a Christmas Wish Family, contact The Main Street Mission between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. To receive a Christmas Wish Family’s wish list, call 479-968-8303. CW 5 — Three children, two males, ages 12 and 8, and one girl, age 1. Father makes just enough to pay basic needs. CW 6 — Two children, one male, age 11, and one female, age 9. Single income family who has had medical issues recently. CW 7 — Three ch...